Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 95%
Simulated
A nurse is caring for a client who has a new prescription for warfarin. The nurse should use the results of which of the following diagnostic tests to monitor the effect of this therapy?
Correct answer
D
Rationale
Prothrombin time (PT) is the correct test to monitor the effect of warfarin therapy. PT measures the extrinsic pathway of coagulation, which is directly influenced by warfarin. The international normalized ratio (INR) is derived from the PT and is used to standardize PT results, making it the most reliable indicator of warfarin's anticoagulant effect.